


and still, to begin again

by dear_dunyazade



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, Healing, slowly but surely
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 19:59:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14576532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dear_dunyazade/pseuds/dear_dunyazade
Summary: it starts with a blanket, a hat taken off, and a lipstick stain on his scruffy cheek.





	and still, to begin again

She'd never had to sleep alone. If she really wanted, she could yank Hades from his chair and into bed. But, most nights, a slowly-sipped drink is her companion. Not that she minds...most nights. Even if she were up top, she could crawl up next to her mama and be greeted warmly, even if it made her feel like a damn child, even if it was cramped and too hard on her back. 

But tonight was just not a solitary night for her. No. Not tonight.

 

At what could've been ten o'clock or 4 a.m., Persephone threw the fresh sheets off her, jamming her feet into the holey slippers by the bed, snatching her glass and ambling out of their room. She didn't even know where to go, but her feet knew where to go, so she blearily followed. 

 

His office.

Of course. She'd meant to do that, she told herself. 

 

She didn't bother to knock, not caring if he was asleep or awake. 

Then she did, just for a second.

 

He was slouched over, pen still in hand, hat on, coat disheveled, beard barely grown back after the previous week's shave. She nearly smiled at the nearly sweet scene.

Then she crouched beside him, ghosting her fingertips over his eyes. He was a heavy sleeper, anyway, but she kept it gentle. As if a sudden movement could ruin the moment. There's no way she could pick him up anymore... Years, years ago, she could twirl him around like a wet noodle that escaped the box. 

Before she could even think, his hat was off, resting on the lamp, dimming the single light in the room inordinately. The pencil was on the uncleaned desk, an ornament in the maze of trash. His shirt was loosened, not tight around his neck and teasing his grey haired chest with exposure. Looking around, she crossed the room to the single closet, pulling out the scratchy blanket Hades promised he'd thrown out.

(How the fuck can you throw anything out down here? It all just came back around eventually.)

She wrapped it around his shoulders, tucking it on his chest snugly. He looked like... well, like a baby. She smirked as she leaned on his desk lightly, finishing her drink with a swig. Handling it, examining it, she noticed her lipstick stained it's rim. Her smirk faded into a troubled frown. Had she really forgotten to take off her makeup (again, her conscious whispers)? 

Before she could think any more about how often that'd happened, the light was gone, the click the only sound in the room (along with Hades' snores). 

 

If she was asked, she didn't remember kissing his cheek seconds after that, fleeing from the room at speeds she didn't think she could get to anymore. She didn't remember her cheeks feeling flushed, then rolling her eyes at herself, thoughts of, 'That's your husband, you can kiss him,' filling her mind. 

But in the morning, she couldn't deny it. The red mark of lips was pressed on Hades' cheek as he catches her eye as she finds her way to the kitchen for her morning coffee. He was still in his clothes from the day before, disheveled and looking nothing like the King of Hell should look like. 

In the second, he wasn't a King. He wasn't a god, nor a mortal. He was just... Hades. 

Unknown to Persephone, Hades couldn't deny it either. As his eyes were locked on her, he couldn't shake the feeling. He didn't feel like his eyes were betraying him, but they sure weren't making him feel any less confused.

She was there again. Wrapped in a white dress, flowers in her fingers. Just for a moment, though. 

This time, neither of them shook the thoughts out of their heads.


End file.
